Today is THE day! I am signed up to take this copic class at a local scrapbook store! I can’t wait to share with you what we are going to make!!

Here’s the deets from Southern Scrapbooks newsletter:

Copic Workshop with Guest Artist, Sally Lynn MacDonald

Friday, May 14^th 3:00pm – 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Classes are FULL!

Workshop  – Acryclic Album: ‘Let No Surface Remain UnInked’ featuring Copic Airbrushing

Clear Acrylic products are all the rage and this class will show you how to not only cope with the design challenges of a clear surface – but how to make it SHINE. We’ll expose the clear surface and show you how to maximize your supplies along with ways to embellish and enhance the surface with epoxies, ink and getting double-duty from your embellishments. Sally Lynn will make it clear and complete in simply no time at all with techniques that you can use on all your clear projects. This technique-packed workshop will focus on Copic Marker ink and airbrushing as well as Glimmer Mist and the many surfaces and techniques used to color with them. From layering colors on transparencies, to airbrushing on acrylic as well as coloring ‘bling’, epoxy stickers, flowers and chipboard, Sally Lynn will guide you through every surface to go way above and beyond stamped images to altering everything.

Southern Scrapbooks is proud to welcome guest artist & instructor, Sally Lynn MacDonald. She will be teaching two workshops on Friday, May 14^th for $40 each. Check out the information for the workshop and specify which one you would like to sign up for when you call in. We want to emphasize that class space is very limited and already filling up so please call ASAP to ensure that you will be given a space. Do not miss this special opportunity!

Sally Lynn MacDonald has been an avid scrapbooker, stamper, paper and altered artist since 1998, when her first child was born. Subsequently, after the birth of twins, she quit her high-tech career at IBM to be home with her growing family. “This is when creativity became a survival skill!” she says.

She has been working in the paper arts industry for several years specializing in ink techniques and surfaces. Sally Lynn works with Prima Marketing in addition to her role as National Certification Trainer for Copic Marker / Imagination International. She is also a certified and/or endorsed instructor for Clear Scraps, Ranger Ink, Prima Marketing and a ‘Golden Embassador’ Instructor for Tattered Angels. She travels extensively, teaching workshops at conventions and stores throughout the United States and Canada. Her personal design challenge is to take products or techniques that would have her students saying “Huh?” and bring them to “Ah ha!”.

Her style is eclectic and she loves to make each project unique, interactive and indulge her creative side. This year, she is on HGTV, featured in a couple of segments of the “That’s Clever!” television program. Her work has been published in Legacy/Somerset Memories, Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamper and Stamper’s Sampler Take Ten and Creative Jewelry.

Sally Lynn and her husband Neil live in Connecticut with their children, Brianna and the “Twinkies,” Cameron and Courtney. Keep up with Sally Lynn’s work, adventures and travels on her blog: http://www.inkyheart.typepad.com/.

Copic Certification Trainer (2008-present) * Copic Design Team (2008-present) * Ranger Certified Instructor (2006-present) * Prima Endorsed Instructor (2008-present) * Tattered Angel’s ‘Golden Embassador’ Educator (2008-present) * Hambly Sponsored Instructor (2007-present) * Tattered Angel’s Design Team (2008-2009) * ClearScraps Design Team (2008-2009)

Spellbinders’ Design Team (2008) * Prickley Pear Stamps Design Team (2008-2009) * Cosmo Cricket Design Team (2007) * Zutter / Bind-it-All Design Team (2008) * FiberScraps (2005)

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to share MY experience with you! I can’t WAIT!

Libby Hickson, one of my Creative Council has written a snow globe card  tutorial for Split Coast Stampers, and she used the images from Gifts of Love!! !! It’s SO awesome, and she totally makes this gorgeous card look easy to make!

Side view

Here’s the link to the SCS post: click here

If you aren’t a member, you can view her video tutorial on you tube, here!

Hope you’ll give this tutorial a try!!

Please welcome Karen Madden of  Lilacs and Lupines as we shine the  FCD spotlite on her art for October!!

A little bit about Karen:

“I live on the rocky shores of Maine with Rick (my husband), Bobby (my son), Brownie (my springer spaniel) and Shirley (my kitty).  I am a SAHM, PTA President at my sons school  and any spare time I can find, I absolutely love to paper craft!  I get no greater joy than to try new techniques, product lines or ideas.  I could not be more thrilled to be the Guest Designer of October for Firecracker Designs by Pamela.” (and she tells ME, this is her first ever Guest Designer Spotlite!! woo hoo!)

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And now for a little art:

Her first project is a gift jar and what perfect timing to share one of these huh?  (Get started on those Christmas/Holiday gifts!)

1a & 1b pictures ~ I made this jar (and three others to hold different flavored coffees for a little gift for my son’s teacher.  I thought the set was perfect and in particular love how the jar top looks!

Stamp sets used: Escape the Daily Grind

Lid of Jar

the wrap around for the jar:

This IS Cool Beans!! I love this idea, don't you?

Check back next week on Monday, and I”ll post MORE of Karen’s fabulous creations!!

Pamela

A while back, Jen Greco (DT 07-08) wrote up this tutorial for me, and I’ve been saving it for a day such as this…..here in SC we have rain, fog and altogether a dreary day. I know in many other parts of the world today you woke up to  SNOW and ICE, and freezing temps….so lets go to the tropics and enjoy some warm sunshine  as we learn how to make a bag book using the stamps from Happy Hour!

Paper Bag Book Tutorial

by Jennifer Greco for FireCracker Designs by Pamela

How can you not LOVE these fun paper bag books?  They are so easy to make, and can be as shabby chic or classically elegant as you want depending on how you choose to decorate them.  They make great gifts!

Edited: I guess it would be nice to show you what this looks like from the front too huh?? Sorry..I went off and completely forgot to upload the finished pic! HERE YA GO!

You will need:

• Two or more paper bags (depending on the number of pages you want) - either white or kraft colored
• Patterned paper - several different sheets in coordinating colors
• Binding method*
• Paper trimmer
• Adhesive of your choice
• Stamps for decorating pages ( Happy Hour)
• Ribbon and other embellishments for decorating the bag

*There are MANY options available for binding paper bag books, depending on your project’s “look” and the level of effort you want to go to.  You can use any of the following (but not limited to of course): binder clips, rings, staples, sewing (hand or machine), ribbon, ribbon sewing, brads, eyelets, snaps, etc.

Instructions for creating your paper bag book:

Stack your paper bags (use a minimum of 2 bags) directly on top of each other, alternating the direction of the bags each time.

Fold the stack in half and crease it well.

Determine the area you will be leaving unadorned for binding.  If you are using a non-permanent method of binding such as binder clips, make temporary marks so you’ll know where to measure from for decorating your pages.  If you are using a permanent method of binding such as eyelets, you can punch the holes now so you are clear where your binding is on all the inside pages.
You are ready to decorate your book!  Some ideas for decorating include stamping directly on the paper bag, covering the pages with patterned paper or cardstock, using stickers or rub-ons, and adding embellishments such as ribbon, brads, rhinestones, layers, hardware, buttons, punch shapes or other papercrafting products.

To make the inside pages (they tuck into the open ended bag pages with tabs or ribbon to pull out) cut a piece of cardstock or patterned paper to fit easily inside the bag opening, keeping in mind your binding area when you measure.
You are done!  You can make them as simple or complex as you’d like, including adding photos or mementos like a scrapbook.

Here’s a few more pix of some of the inside pages, and how the back looks.

Inside book

Back of the bag book

Wasnt’ that fun? I feel warmer already!

Enjoy your day, where ever you are and what ever the weather. It’s always warmer when we’re together. :0)

Pamela

Spinner Card by Kim Davenport
(who learned how from Kary Nagel!)

1. Make a card (folded cs) and either with a punch or Coluzzle, cut out an
opening (circle, square, oval). For this example, I will use a square.

2. Take another piece of cs - that will go on the INSIDE front cover and
make an identical opening - You will be laying this piece of paper over the
inside left of your folded card.

** TIP: If you have your folded card and a piece of cs that is already cut
and trimmed to fit inside your folded card, carefully hold the front of your
card and the inside piece, slide it into a large punch for your opening and
punch the holes at the same time. This way, you know the openings will match
up!

3. Decorate the front of your card however you wish.

4. Now you can either use the two punched out pieces and just trim them
down a little or if you cut out a square or if you want to use a circle, you can
do that too. This piece will be what is suspended in the cut out section of your
card.

Stamp and color these two pieces. You can make these two cut out pieces
identical or make them different.

5. Cut a piece of string to go the length of the card (without showing thru
the top or bottom).

6. Sandwich that string in between the two pieces you stamped (in step #3).

7. Working inside the card, place adhesive (double stick tape) above, below,
and all around the opening on your folded card.

8. Center the smaller circle in the hole and place the string on the adhesive
above and below.

9. Place the cs facing (from step #2) on the inside cover

10. Now after you’ve written your note to the recipient (on the bottom
inside of the card, so your witting doesn’t show thru the opening from the
front), turn your suspended-by-the-string piece several times — at least 10
or 15 times and then close the card. When the person receiving your card
opens it up, that piece of art will spin around and around!

(originally published in 2007)